Condenser.



T. D. FALLON.

CONDENSER.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 20, 1909.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

' LO m T. D. FALLON.

CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1909.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

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THOMAS D. FALLON, OF PRATTVILLE, ALABAMA.

CONDENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1909.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910. Serial No. 508,583.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS D. FALLON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Prattville, in the county of Autauga and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Condenser, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton condensers and is more particularly designed for use in connection with the apparatus disclosed in a copending application filed by me.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and compact device of this character through which air is free to circulate, revoluble means being interposed in the path of the air current for the purpose of inter cepting the lint entering the condenser and for conveying it to means utilized for removing it from said revoluble means and discharging it from the condenser.

Another object is to provide means for controlling the passage of air through the condenser.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction, and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :'Figure 1 is a vertical p longitudinal section through a condenser embodying the present improvements, said section being taken on the line A-B, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a section on line CD, Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a substantially rectangular box-like casing, the top and one end of which are closed by means of a hood 2 preferably formed of sheet metal, there being aninlet opening 3 extending throughout the width of the hood at one end of the casing. An outlet opening 4 extends throughout the width of the casing along the opposite portion of the hood, there being a discharge chute or spout 5 which extends from the casing directly below said outlet and which is overhung by a shield panel 6 extending outwardly from the easing at an inclination and preferably in a plane parallel with the bottom of the chute 5. An inclined board 7 constitutes the bottom of the inlet 3 and extends close to the periphery of a separating cylinder C mounted for rotation within the casing 1. Brackets 8 are mounted at the ends of the casing and constitute supports for a longitudinally extending shaft 9 which extends through the end walls 10 of said casing, there being sleeves 11 journaled upon the end portions of the shaft and within the end walls 10, each sleeve being provided at its inner end with a head 12. A hub 13 is secured to each head and has spokes 14 radiating therefrom, said spokes being secured to or formed with the end rings or heads 15 of the cylinder C. The rings are connected by spaced longitudinally extending slats 16 on which is secured a cylindrical reticulated covering 17. Each slat has a flexible cut-off flap 18 attached to one face thereof and extending inwardly therefrom, each flap being extended continuously from one end to the other of the cylinder. The heads 15 project into circular openings 19 formed within partitions 20 located within the casing 1 at points removed from the end walls 10. End compartments 21 are thus formed between the end walls 10 and the partitions 20 and it will be obvious that air can enter the end compartments only through the open ends of the cylinder C. Each of the compartments 21 has an outlet flue 22 designed to be connected to the casing of an exhaust fan.

A series of segments 23 is arranged within the cylinder 0, each segment being connected by means of integral spokes 24. with a hub 25 keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 9, there being an arm 26 extending from one of the hubs and provided with a counterbalance 27 whereby the shaft 9 and the segments connected thereto may be maintained stationary at all times during the rotation of the cylinder. The segments 23 are connected by an arcuate stop plate 28 extending throughout the length of the cylinder, one longitudinal edge of this plate being located above the inner end of the inclined board 7 while the other end of said plate is disposed adjacent a separating roller 29 which is interposed between the cylinder C and the upper portion of the hood 2. This separating cylinder has a series of longitudinally extending flexible strips or flaps 30 extending therefrom and designed to successively contact with the hood and with thereticulated covering of the cylinder so as to effectually prevent the passage of air aroundthe separating roller. A flap 31 of rubber or other flexible material is secured along the upper inner longitudinal edge of the inclined board 7 and constantly bearsagainst the covering 17 of the cylinder C so as to prevent the passage of air between said board and cyl-j inder.

extending flaps 33 of leather, rubber or the like, andwhich are designed to successively contact with the reticulatedcovering 17 of; cylinder C. A condensing roller 34 is 10-.

cated above thedofling roller 32 and is designed to be successively contacted by the a flaps 33, there being a flexible strip 35 upon;

the lower edge of the panel 6 and which constantly contacts with'the roller 34.

Thepanelfi is hingedly connected to the; casing '1 as indicated at 36 and it can thereforejbe swung upwardly so as to permit .ac-. cesstobeconveniently had tothe space be! tween.;the rollers 29, 32, and 34.

A wheel 37 may be secured to each of the sleeves 1;1,this wheel being designed to receive motion from any suitable .source, and

when the wheel is rotated the cylinder C will be revolved within the casing, the inwardly extending cut-01f flaps 18 being brought successively into contact with the stop plate 28and caused to slide thereover,"

thus servingto prevent air from escaping around saidplate and through that portion of the cylinder located between the rollers 29 and, .32.

A current of air can be set up through the condenser either by creating a suction through thepipes 22, or by forcing a blast of air into the inlet 3. The air entering the inlet is designed to convey lint into the easing from a gin, and inasmuchasthe air cannot pass under or over the cylinder because of the separating roller 29 and of the flap 31, said air will pass through the reticulated covering 17 of the cylinder, thus leav-' ing the lint upon said covering while the air passes outwardly through the ends ofthe the dofling roller 32 and that part thereof which does not leave the cylinder in this manner will be wiped therefrom by the flaps 33 and will pass outward between the roller 32 and condensing roller 34 and into the chute 5 By referringparticularly to Fi 20f the drawingsit willbe seenthat the aps30 on the roller29 are so arranged that two A or more of themare in constant contact with cylinder C and constantly closethe space between the cylinder slats whichare nearest to the A dofling roller 32 is mounted in the upper end of the chute 5 and has longitudinally said roller 29 and said roller. It thus becomes impossible for any air to pass between-the cylinder-C and the roller 29, no

matter in what position the cylinder slats may be with relation to the roller 29. The flaps on the roller. 32 are similarly arrangeed and thus serve to prevent leakage of air tween the cylinder and the said roller 32. Oh-

viously, therefore, the rollers 29 and 32 and their flaps thus cotiperate with the cylinder .C. and its slats so as to positively prevent the 'passageof air fromthe inlet 3 to the ontlet iwh'ether or notlint iscontained within the condenser. This is advantageous because,

shonld any lint be piled adjacent the outlet of the machine and air continued to pass through the a paratus even though unacco npanied by nt to be cleaned, there is no danger of any dirt or dust commingled with the air, passing through or around the cylinder and mixing with the cleaned lint located beyond the ou let. The condenser is thus use- ;ful as a cleaning medium whether or not the 'lint is blown into the condenser or sucked thereinto.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

\Vhatis claimed is 1. A condenser including a casing having an air inlet and an airoutlet and a ;lint outlet, a tubular screen mounted for rotation within the casing and interposed between theinlet and the lint outlet, one end of said screen opening into the air outlet, an arcuate stop plate supported within the screen, flexible cutofl devices movable -.with the screen and extending longitudinally thereof, said devices being arranged to contact with the stQP plate, and revoluble means extending longitudinally within the casing above and below thelint outlet and contacting with the cylinder to prevent the passage of air from the air inlet tothe lint outlet.

2. Acondenser including acasing having an air and lint inlet, an air outlet, and a lint outlet, a cylindrical screen mounted for rotation within the casing, said screenopening at one end into the air outlet and being interposed between the inlet and the hut outlet, longitudinally extendin flexible cutoff vdevices within and mova le with the screen, an arcuate stop plate su ported within the screen and adapted to e successively contacted by said devices, and revoluble devices arranged longitudinally within the casing and above and below the lint out-let, said devices contacting with the cylinder "throughout the length thereof and cooperating with the cutoflf devices and the pla'teto prevent the passage, of air from. the inletto the lintm tlet.

3. A condenser including a casing having an air and lint inlet, an air outlet, and a lint outlet, a cylindrical screen mounted for rotation in the casing and interposed between said inlet and the lint outlet, said screen opening at one end into the air outlet, a separating roller disposed longitudinally within the casing and above the lint outlet, a dofiing roller disposed longitudinally within the casing and below the lint outlet, flexible flaps carried by the said rollers and adapted to contact with the cylinder, an arcuate stop plate supported within the cylinder, and stop devices movable with the cylinder and adapted to successively contact with the plate, said devices, plate, and the flaps upon the rollers, cooperating to prevent the passage of air from the inlet to the lint outlet.

4. A condenser including a casing having an air and lint inlet, a lint outlet and an air outlet, a cylindrical screen mounted for rotation within the casing and having an open end registering with the air outlet, a series of longitudinally extending slats within and revoluble with the cylinder, cutoff flaps extendin from said slats and toward the center ot said cylinder, an arcuate stop plate supported within the cylinder and adapted to be successively contacted by said flaps, and revoluble means disposed longitudinally within the casing above and below the lint outlet, said devices contacting with the cylinder and casing and cooperating with the slats, the stop plate and the flaps upon the slats for preventing the passage of air from the inlet to the lint outlet.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS D. FALLON. Witnesses J N0. WADSWORTH, W. S. FAIR. 

